Christopher Wilkinson

Perkins Coie LLP

Chris Wilkinson maintains a broad litigation and advice practice in labor and employment, wage-and-hour, federal contractor compliance, equal pay, government relations, and administrative law. He represents multinational employers, advising and counseling on the full range of employment and compliance matters arising out of federal and state laws.



Chris’ current practice focuses on counseling employers and litigating pay equity matters arising out of federal and state claims. He helps clients navigate large-scale government investigations and litigation arising out of discrimination, retaliation, whistleblower, and other enforcement matters. He also investigates highly sensitive matters at the executive level, ensures legal compliance in diversity and inclusion efforts, and strategizes regarding labor and employment risks arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the former associate solicitor for civil rights and labor management for the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Chris led the legal division responsible for the regulatory, policy, and enforcement matters for seven DOL agencies including the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Civil Rights Center, and Office of Labor Management Standards. In that senior executive role, Chris counseled the DOL on equal employment opportunity, enforcement, regulatory and policy initiatives and advised on a wide range of constitutional and statutory matters in federal courts including the U.S. Supreme Court. In addition to equal employment opportunity matters, Chris led union election and reporting enforcement work, counseled on transit labor certification matters, and advised on appellate matters related to labor union practices.

As a trial attorney and former counsel for Civil Rights Programs in the DOL’s San Francisco region, Chris litigated numerous complex class wage-and-hour, class discrimination, health and safety, and Sarbanes-Oxley and other whistleblower matters.

Chris serves as the president of the board of governors of the Washington Latin Public Charter School.